Peace
by YumeMori
Summary: Itachi/Kagome. They shared one dream that brought them closer despite the circumstances. However, dreams and wishes had no place in the ninja world as they quickly found out.


**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Naruto_ or _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha. InuYasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Naruto_ belongs to Kishimoto Masashi, Shueisha, Viz Media, and Madman Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended with this purely fan-made crossover, especially since no money is being made from this. Nor do I own the song _"Hand of Sorrow"_, that belongs to Within Temptation, their record label and the songwriters.

* * *

_**Title: Peace**_

* * *

_"The child without a name grew up to be the hand  
To watch you, to shield you or kill on demand.  
The choice he made, he could not comprehend  
His blood a grim secret they had to command.  
He's torn between his honor and the true love of his life  
He prayed for both, but was denied."_

* * *

The sky had been exceptionally blue that day. It was perfect in his eyes. Not a cloud in sight to trouble the peaceful sky. If only life could be the same. Why did the sky have to be so lucky to have such peace? Why couldn't he have the same?

Could it be that he had already stained his hands too much already? He knew he was only seven years old, but he had been on the battlefield since he could walk. The last great shinobi war came to an end during his toddler years, and because of that war once he could walk he had bathed in the blood of the enemies of his village. Many of them had been children just like he who had been forced to give up their toys in favor of kunai.

He wished only for an end to the bloodshed. After seeing so much blood and death through nearly all of his tender, impressionable years, he wanted nothing more than peace. A time when there would never be a need for fighting or ninja. When war didn't happen. A time much like the one the cloudless blue sky had, with no care in the world. Why couldn't everyone take a lesson from the sky?

"Itachi." His father's stern voice had him sitting up. Another day of sky-watching ruined, the little boy was sure of it.

Yet he had been raised to be obedient. So he rose and went to see what his father wanted, no matter what his childish desires were. He was officially a ninja now, his new hitae-ate proved it. Though to him it would forever be a symbol of the childhood he had been forced to give up in favor of war.

"Yes, father?" he asked as he stepped into his house.

When he received no reply, he looked up to see another man and a little girl sitting with his father. Itachi could already tell he was not going to walk away from this situation happy. Though he was young, he wasn't stupid or immature. He knew enough to tell they were most likely arranging a marriage for him to that girl. Or trying to. By law, he was an adult the moment he graduated from the academy, and it was only a matter of time before he was married off to ensure his position as head of the Uchiha Clan and that the bloodline would carry on.

"Itachi." His father's tone took on a colder edge, and Itachi knew better than to cause a scene. After sitting down next to his father, Fugaku spoke again, "This is the head of the Higurashi Clan, Takao, and his daughter and heir, Kagome."

Despite the words that were on the tip of his tongue and begging to be said, Itachi swallowed them and replied, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Higurashi-dono. Higurashi-sama."

Both clan heads could not help their approving smiles at his manners. They couldn't have asked for a better male to be in their family. Only the young Kagome didn't acknowledge his greeting, keeping her eyes on the floor in front of her.

"I'm sure you're curious as to why a non-ninja family such as mine would be visiting, am I right?" Takao asked, his voice full of amusement. Itachi couldn't stop himself from nodding, earning himself an amused glare from his father and a boisterious laugh from Takao. "Well, my boy, while the Higurashi Clan may not be ninja, we aren't exactly civilians either. We are a family of monks and miko. We are the other side of ninja -- we preserve life and live peaceful lives. However since my daughter is going to be the next heir, she has been gifted with an artifact called the Shikon no Tama. Since it is nothing but power, it seems best that she marries someone strong enough to take care of her and the shikon."

"And so you thought it best to marry her off to the Uchiha Clan," Itachi cut in, distaste clear in his ebony eyes as he looked at the girl sitting across from him. "Or try to, at least."

Those words caused her to move. Kagome glared at the boy she was to marry, her blue eyes full of hurt and dislike. "I told you coming here now was pointless, dad," she muttered.

However Itachi wasn't paying attention to her words. All his attention was on her eyes. They were a deep blue he had only seen during the night when there was only the moon to cast light. As much as he loved the pure blue sky of the day, he loved that night sky more. And just like the night, she was proving that she could have her own inner light.

The disapproving voice of his father snapped his attention away from her. "They are not attempting any such thing. Kagome has been betrothed to you for nine years, since she was born. Takao and I decided this would be a good time for you two to meet and begin to know each other. You will be married on your twentieth birthday, Itachi." Fugaku's tone left no room for argument.

Given the way she refused to look at him, he knew she already knew that news. At least she seemed as displeased with it as he, meaning he wouldn't be stuck with some fangirl for the rest of his life. Yet he couldn't imagine what it had to be like for her, marrying someone just to protect some powerful artifact. It seemed almost worse than marrying someone for power and prestige. He knew one thing, though. His dreams for a peaceful life were thoroughly shattered by this announcement.

From that moment forward, he would never be able to put down his weapons and live peacefully. He would have to shed blood in order to keep her artifact safe. It was... extremely unfair. To them both.

"Why don't you show Kagome-sama around? The courtyard, perhaps?"

Itachi nodded numbly at Takao's suggestion.

While he had no desire to become close to his wife-to-be, he couldn't refuse either. He had to remember that she was a victim in this, too. They were both protectors, but at least he had some sort of break from it until he was twenty. She didn't. With those thoughts, he extended a hand to help her up, which she refused. With a small shrug of his shoulders, he turned and headed out the door he entered from earlier to show her the gardens she would one day have to see everyday.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them as neither knew what to say. Itachi opened his mouth to speak, but promptly shut it when she spoke first. "I know you dislike me and the fact that I'm not a ninja, nor will I ever be. But, just so you know, you're not the only one sacrificing something from this arrangement."

"Like what?" he snorted, "Your freedom? Your independence? Don't rub your petty losses in my face, _civilian_."

Kagome looked at him, hurt and anger written all over her features. "And don't presume to know _me_, shinobi. As if I have any freedom to give up, as it stands, I'll just be moving from one cage to another."

"Then what? What could a girl like you ever have to give up if not your freedom?"

"Peace." Her simple answer shocked him out of his indignation. "While I don't have complete peace, I do have it more than I will married to you. Not only will I have people after the shikon to deal with, but your enemies, too."

All this time, he had been looking at it as his loss of peace. It never occurred to him that she might lose the peace she had because of him. Her marriage to him would cause more people to be after her, while the amount of people after his life wouldn't change. It seemed as if she had more to give up than he. And in that moment, he decided to make a promise to keep the clouds out of her night sky eyes.

He caught her off-guard by hugging her from behind. "All this time, I never thought someone like you would desire what I desire. Truce?"

Itachi could hear her smile, glad that he finally did something right in his interactions with his future wife. "Truce."

"Well, then, I guess this means as your husband, I have to make sure you get the peace you want."

She smiled, knowing only a child could promise such a thing. "Thank you. And I promise to make sure you always join in on the peace you give me."

And that only a child would believe it.

* * *

_"So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed,  
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?"_

* * *

Their visits to each other became weekly trips. Every week they would alternate between their houses. Kagome came to know his little brother, Sasuke, just as he came to know her little brother Souta. Their fathers were pleased with how close they were becoming, and they were thankful to have a friend to confide in. However, everything changed after three years.

Not long after Kagome turned twelve, tragedy struck the Higurashi Clan. In an attempt to save Kagome from someone trying to gain the Shikon no Tama, her father gave his life, though he did kill the would-be thief. This event forever changed the Higurashi Clan. Some idiot from the council took over the clan, as Kagome was not yet married, and proceeded to remove her as the heir. Her brother was preceived as strong enough to be the heir and protect the Shikon simply because of his sex. Without anyone outside the clan knowing, the Shikon was removed from Kagome's possession and given to Souta.

It was enough for Itachi to declare their future marriage null-and-void if he so desired. Kagome waited for his decision with tears in her eyes. While they had grown close over the past few years, and she could easily say she loved him, it was his chance to be free. If he desired to terminate their marriage he could go on to live a battle-free life and have the life he would never be able to have married to her. But she wanted to share in his peace and his life.

He looked at Kagome one last time before giving his answer to the Higurashi Clan. "While many would jump at the chance to be free of an arranged marriage, I do not count myself among them. If I had been asked three years ago, I would have said yes. But now, I care too much for my intended and would hate to see the wish of the late Higurashi Takao go to waste."

Though they were not the words Kagome longed to hear, she couldn't have been happier. He said that he cared about her, and that was all she really needed to know. Love could come much later. She was willing to wait forever if need be.

The second she found him alone afterward, she whispered, "You don't know how much what you said means to me... And I swear on my life that one day you won't have to fight anymore."

Only his eyes betrayed his confusion. "What do you mean?"

"When we marry, you'll have your peace... And me, too." She smiled. "Since I'm no longer the heir, I also no longer possess a certain something."

That was the first time they had ever kissed.

* * *

_"The curse of his powers tormented his life,  
Obeying the crown was a sinister price.  
His soul was tortured by love and by pain  
He surely would flee but the oath made him stay."_

* * *

"Congratulations!"

Her loud shout prepared him from the impact of her small body. Over the past three years of living with her, he learned that she loved to throw herself at him and hug him. It was her attempt to catch him off-guard enough to knock him to the ground.

Despite himself, he smiled when he caught her. "I don't think the other side of Konoha heard you, Kagome."

She pouted and smacked his arm in a playful manner. "Well, forgive me for being happy over your promotion to AnBu Captain! Am I the only one thrilled over the fact that you made it at thirteen?" Kagome mumbled the last part to herself.

Itachi's smile softened as he lead her back towards his house. Ever since the day he said he would still marry her, she had been living with the Uchiha Clan. Everyone still thought that she had the Shikon, and would until her little brother was older, so she had been forced to move in. She needed the protection. And surrounded by so many Uchiha Clan members made sure nothing would happen to her.

"I do think you're the only one to be that thrilled... I do still have a promise to fulfill to you, or have you forgotten?"

She stopped mid-step in shock. It was the first time she had heard him sound that serious. Also, it was the first time in six years that he had mentioned that promise he made to her when they first met. Could it be that he was finally starting to love her as much as she loved him? A small, soft smile appeared on her face as she laced her fingers with his.

"You've already kept that promise, Itachi-kun. Everytime I'm with you, I'm at peace. Your presence just seems to suck away all my sorrow and pain... Something only you can do."

Itachi squeezed her hand in return. "That's good to know. But I still do have to protect you. That is why I became AnBu, Kagome, so I could better do so."

She bumped into him on purpose. "You're a horrible liar, Itachi-kun! And that says something coming from me. I know something is up with you joining AnBu, and it has nothing to do with me... One day, I'll figure it out."

At seeing the determined set of her jaw, his heart clenched painfully. If he had his way, he would take her far away from anything dealing with ninja and hidden villages to keep her safe... And to make sure she always had the peace she deserved.

_'If I can help it, Kagome, you'll never know why...'_

Yet he never got to keep that promise to himself. The orders that came from the village council made sure of that. They all had to die in order to keep everything running the way it was, including her. While he could justify the slaughter of his clan -- they were planning a coup, and it was his duty as an AnBu Captain -- how could he justify killing her? She wasn't a part of the Uchiha Clan officially, so why? Though they said it was because she was a threat, he knew it not to be true. Kagome wasn't even a threat to bugs.

"Itachi-kun?" she sleepily asked, feeling his tortured presence enough to wake up. When he didn't answer, she crawled out of bed towards him. "Itachi-kun? What's wrong?"

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"I have to kill you."

Shock and hurt appeared and clouded her eyes. It pained him to know that he had caused those clouds to fill her eyes of midnight. That was something he never wanted to see. And when she asked why with a voice thick with pain and tears, everything came out. All of it that he had been keeping in for months. All about how his clan was planning a coup which was why he was pushed into becoming AnBu to gather information on the Hokage and Council Members. Then discovering that they knew about it and forced him into spying on his own family. He told her about his encounter with Madara and then training under him. And finally the order to kill them all, including her, and how his cousin, Shisui, was the first to go because he had discovered the truth.

By the time he finished, she had him wrapped tightly in her embrace. She ran her fingers through his hair, crying the tears he couldn't and wouldn't. After a moment of silence, she said, "I guess this is how it has to be then... We both know what will happen if you don't follow those orders. It'll be your life and someone else killing us..."

"No, we can run away together," he said. "We could leave and have everything we wanted."

Her arms tightened around him as her tears fell faster. She managed to choke out a laugh uncolored by humor. "You're not supposed to be the dreamer in this relationship, Itachi-kun. You know we couldn't do that. There would be someone else killing your clan in cold blood, hunter-nin constantly looking for us... We would only have each other, and you should know that's not enough to make it. Maybe if I was a shinobi... No, this is something that needs to be done."

He pulled away, too shocked to hide his disbelief. He wondered how could she be so at ease about this? She looked away from him. "Don't look at me like that, please... It's hard enough to say that... But, you know, if I have to die... I'd rather it be by your hand than someone else's. And besides, you'll definitely have your peace without me around..."

Unable to hear anymore, Itachi pulled her as close as he could without hurting her. "Don't say that, Kagome!"

_'Because you are my peace.'_

"No matter the orders, I promised to protect you."

_'I just never thought it would be from me.'_

She surprised him by smiling, "By killing me, you would be protecting me. Not only from chaining you down, but from being killed by whoever would be sent to do the job you couldn't. And, like I said, if I have to die, I'd rather you do it."

"Why?"

"Because I love you, Itachi-kun. And I want to die smiling."

"Kagome..."

She cut him off with a kiss filled with all her love and trust in him. "Kill me and do what you have to... I'll be waiting for you... So we can have the peace we wanted, but couldn't have."

It pained him, but he drew his AnBu issued katana. The first time he would use it, and it would be the last. After all the blood that would stain it that night, he had no desire to ever see it again. He couldn't bear to look at her as he plunged his katana into her heart.

True to her word, she smiled as she cried tears of sorrow and blood.

"I love you..."

She cupped his face with the last of her strength, the smile never leaving her face. "Silly... I've known all along... Now, it's my turn to watch over you."

He held her even after she died, taking what strength and pain he could from her to do what needed to be done. After killing the love of his life, the pain of killing the rest couldn't compare. He destroyed the peaceful sky he loved, both in his life and her eyes. Now all he had left was the day where he could reclaim it all to look forward to.

* * *

_"So many years have passed  
Who are the noble and the wise?  
Will all our sins be justified?"_

* * *

Seven long years had passed since that fateful night. The rain that had started to fall before dawn that day hid the tears he finally allowed himself to cry. Killing his family, destroying his clan, forcing his little brother to live for hatred and revenge, killing her... Itachi had allowed himself to cry that once over what he did. As Kagome had often reminded him, he wasn't the kind of shinobi to give into his emotions. It made him too good of one which led to his greatest regret. His greatest sin.

However, life was not without a sense of justified humor. He noticed his illness too late to cure it, but it worked out perfectly. After all he had already done to his little brother, he would not let his death stain Sasuke's hands. The only thing he would do was make sure he died in front of Sasuke. He traveled around the world, gathering the jutsu and artifacts he needed to make his brother as powerful as he needed to be to help right the wrongs in the shinobi world. It was the least he could do.

And maybe, it would be enough to get him to the same layer of hell he sent Kagome.

_'I'll be waiting for you...'_

She had said she would wait for him. She had said they would have the peace they always wanted then.

Even though he only got to spend six years with her, he knew her well enough to know she always meant what she said.

And it was her words that kept him thinking about her, holding onto her memories and smiling face as he stumbled towards his brother. Sasuke had truly grown into a wonderful shinobi, Kagome would have been proud.

His hand reached out for his brother, his eyesight completely gone. But he didn't need it to know where his brother was, to feel his fear and desperation. Itachi hated that it had been he who put those feelings into his little brother. But it was all so very necessary for the larger picture.

He stepped closer, feeling the pull of the spirit world on his soul.

_'...Itachi-kun...'_

Her voice reached out to touch him, wrapping her love and understanding around him. Despite himself, he smiled. "Just a little while longer, Kagome," he muttered.

There was only one thing left for him to do. His hands reached even closer to Sasuke's eyes, however it wasn't blindness that caused him to miss. Taking his eyes had never been his intention. Instead, he poked his forehead one last time. When his brother had been little and foolish, it had been the one thing he knew Sasuke had secretly enjoyed. What other reason could there be for Sasuke always walking forward toward him, even when he knew he would get his forehead flicked?

His fingers retracted as one of his old smiles took over his face. "Sorry, Sasuke. This is the last time..."

And all strength left him. Itachi didn't feel the unforgiving stone wall meet his forehead, nor the bloody ground as his legs no longer had the rigidity to hold him up. All he could feel was her warmth once again in his arms. Her scent of sandalwood clouding his nose without the coppery stench of her blood like it had the last time he had held her like that.

She smiled her normal bright smile, her blue eyes filled with happiness and love. "Nee, Itachi-kun, it sure took you long enough!"

Finally, there were no hidden villages or ninja to keep them separated from each other and their desires. His old smile became one unclouded with regret and pain, having the freedom to do so at last. True to her word, she had been waiting. And now, they could live out their dreams in peace.

* * *

_"Please forgive me for the sorrow, for leaving you in fear  
For the dreams we had to silence, that's all they'll ever be.  
Still I'll be the hand that serves you  
Though you'll not see that it is me."  
- Hand of Sorrow by Within Temptation_


End file.
